Throughout the years there have been many shows on television about dysfunctional families that either make audiences feel a little better about their own families or allow them to say "they are just like me." The Braverman family in NBC's "Parenthood" was one of those families that allows viewers to feel both.
What made this show so great was the way it depicted real characters, and it captures their struggles that almost everyone faces. The family tackled obstacles such as death, cancer, bullying, autism, divorce, adoption and sexual identity among other issues. These characters tried to smile through the pain, but not all of them received happy endings. That is what made them real and emotionally relatable.
In real life, not everyone ends up getting the results they wanted. Not everyone is able to come out strong. However, the characters in the show tried to make the best out of messed up situations. That is what also makes them so inspiring. No matter how much they got knocked down; they always knew they needed to get back up.
The family dynamic of the show is also what made it one of the best shows on television. This family fought, argued, loved, lost, but still managed to be there for each other because they realized their bond as a family is what makes them stronger as a whole.
The show focuses on the lives of four siblings and how they deal with being parents in a chaotic family. One sister struggles to raise her teenagers on her own, one brother and his wife (who battles cancer) try their best to raise a son with Asperger's syndrome, another sister deals with being a working mother while having a stay-at-home husband and the other brother has to raise a son he didn't know he had.
Each sibling goes through pitfalls throughout the duration of the series, but they come back stronger each time with a better understanding of not only themselves, but their whole family as well.
As an avid viewer for the duration of the six seasons, I can honestly say "Parenthood" was one of the most emotional shows on television. It never failed to tug at my heart strings. Watching the characters face challenging obstacles allowed me to become emotionally invested in them, even though they were just fictional characters.
No matter what situation they went through, I found myself saying,"I know how that feels" or "I've been through that before." Relating to these characters is a big part of what made the show great. Realizing that family should always be there for you no matter how angry they make you or the disagreements you have is what made this show one of a kind.
The show ended last year, but all six seasons can be streamed on Netflix.
